


To Protect and Serve

by Anonymous



Category: Twilight Series - All Media Types, Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: AU Buddy Cop, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Case Fic, M/M, Not Beta Read, Young Charlie Swan, ascended extras
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-21
Updated: 2017-05-21
Packaged: 2018-11-03 09:17:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 17,285
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10964265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: There he was, Edwin or Edgar or whatever his name was, standing there with a look of amusement on his face."No. I'm not buying it. No way are you an officer." Charlie gawped at him in open disbelief."I have papers if you'd like to see them, Officer Swan."





	1. First Sight

The cold had preserved it enough so that its decomposition was a slow process. Still, it smelled and was bloated fat, unseeing eyes bulging in a way that resembled olives. Olives because _it_ had been a _he_ formerly, with green eyes which now were a pale color rather than any kind of jade or emerald. In his missing persons photo they had been a jade or emerald. His throat _now_ was torn out bloody, and the blood had seeped into the snow, absorbed by it, turning the ground a light red it was nearly pink.

Charlie had never seen or heard of an animal that was so scarily precise it could go for the throat and nothing else, but the police detectives were about five seconds from passing it off as an attack from one anyway. Some hiker in the woods. Forks never got really serious murder cases after all. Now and again there would be a bar fight with an unlucky victim, a car accident maybe, but there hardly ever were premeditated murder cases. Didn't matter much the cause, whatever it was that got the poor bastard, it was a helluva way to end Charlie’s Cadet Training Days.

Beginners were always tasked with the shitty work of gathering evidence. Even with the gloves and face mask, it could not mask the smell completely. The man's glossy eyes were the hardest parts to look at as Charlie took cotton swab samples, putting them into little neat bags.

He looked away.

“Poor bastard.”

It was another cadet who'd spoken, Steve Something, Charlie didn't remember his last name. He was obnoxiously smacking a piece of chewing tobacco in between his teeth even though it was against regulation for him to be doing so. He didn’t seem to care about regulation, exemplifying that when he spat it out into the snow.

Charlie had to agree with him and awkwardly shared his own thoughts, not sure, like most people, what else to say about death, “Never saw an animal kill so clean. Didn't even take the rest of him…”

Steve’s eyes crinkled at their corners, he was humored by his words and gave him a facetious smile.

“Maybe he just didn't taste very good.”

What was wrong with this guy?

“Christ Cadet Valentine! Are you at it again with the cancer plugs? You'll contaminate the Crime Scene!” barked the Charlie’s field training officer, "Anyone ever tell you you'll catch a hairy tongue with those?”

Charlie’s training officer was a man in his late thirties named Michael Mark. He was generally a nice man unless someone got on his bad side. This was usually done by showing an inability to follow rules, or if he perceived someone to be a pain in the ass.

“Swan doesn't think it was an animal. He thinks it's too neat.” Steve informed cheerfully, inserting another plug between his lip.

“Funny. I'd call that anything but neat. Swan?” The officer Mark raised a brow, "This true, son? You find anything specific to indicate murder?”

Uh.

“No.” Charlie admitted awkwardly, as they covered up the body, hitching it up to take to the morgue, "Meant it looked neat as in the rest of the body seems like it was left alone. If it was an animal, y’dthink the rest of him’d be mauled too…”

“We'll know for sure once forensics gets a hold of him.” The man put a hand on Charlie’s shoulder, "Let's get back to the station. You're going to have to submit your report on the incident. Actually, go ahead and take the car without me. I need to discuss some things with Valentine here about his tobacco use on the job…”

Steve stiffened like a kid caught red handed. What did he think though? That nobody read the rulebook?

Charlie caught the keys with surprise. He was letting him take the cruiser? He stared at Officer Mark rather dumbly for a few moments.

“Go on. No joyriding though, and not a scratch or I'll make the rest of your life hell, kid.” Mark warned him with mock sternness.

Charlie cleared his throat and muttered a respectful, 'Yes sir’ before  heading to the cruiser. He slid into the driver’s seat feeling that same sensation people received when a glove fit really well. Mustve been the same feeling major league baseball players had when first sliding on their gloves. Charlie smirked to himself faintly in pleasure, starting the car.

Initially, he hadn't wanted to become a cop. It had never even crossed his mind and was more of an opportunity that had presented itself when college wasn't an option anymore and graduation had been a rope, slowly tightening itself into a noose around his neck. It was just how things played out.

He drove down the boonie’s twisting roads, noting that the skies were becoming darker. Who did cops call when things went bump in the night?

That same sense of purpose was, in the end, the same reason Charlie didn't let that speeding car pass him by.  

It was a sleek Trans Am with an inconspicuous black paint job. It failed to be completely inconspicuous however, given that it was a shiny Pontiac Firebird. Was also goin’ more than 80 in an 80 zone. Charlie didn't even bother to look at the licence plate, he was speeding after it, flipping the switch for the sirens. The sirens and his pulse blared together in his ears as he remained on its tail, waiting for it to slow.

It did come to a stop, first decreasing in speed, and then crawling to a halt. Charlie got out of his car and grabbed a flashlight out of the glove box. It was now as dark and there were no streetlamps out rural roads to help him out.

He knocked on the Trans Am’s window with the backs of his knuckles, waiting for the guy to roll down his windows. He didn't know why they always waited for him or Mark to knock. It wasn't goin to get ‘em out of a ticket. But they always kept their windows up until he approached, like he would change his mind mind and walk back to his car.

The driver rolled down the window, revealing a very handsome face about the same age as Charlie, features contorted into a surprised expression. Little too handsome though because it bordered on damn creepy. He wasn't sure why exactly, it was an unknowing sort of scary. Smooth skin without a human blemish, statuesque stiff in appearance so that he seemed like he _shouldn't_ be able to move but _did_. It was like looking at one of those animatronics whose eyes followed you. A poor imitation of what it was like to look human.

His eyes were a shiny dark, like buttons instead of irises were placed inside his eyes. Dark bruises discolored the skin beneath them.

Creepy guy looked caught off guard, like he hadn't expected to be caught. He was staring at him strangely like he was choking on a piece of food or something. Then he appeared embarrassed and pulled Charlie out of his daze by asking in a pretty voice,  "Officer? Was I speeding?”

Charlie awkwardly gave him a look before gruffly informing, "Speed limit’s 80. You were speeding."

"No,” The man insisted, smiling at him disarmingly,”You seem to be mistaken. I was going at exactly 80.”

The smile didn't win Charlie over in the slightest. Pretty face or not, they were always the same way.

“Nice try. License and registration?”

With a tighter smile, creepy guy dug through his glove box and pulled out his license, thrusting it to him. Charlie took it with a little irritated crease between his brows. Little fucker was giving him attitude.

Guy’s name was Edward Masen. His record was completely clean which was pretty damn good for most people who got pulled over. Usually they turned out to be repeat offenders. Masen didn't have a single parking ticket. Until now that was.

He wrote up the ticket and held it out but Edward didn't take it, his lips pursed in a stubborn pout.

“I sincerely apologize. I've never had a ticket before.”

“Uh huh.”

“My family will never let me hear the end of it.”

“Mhm…”

_Not my problem buddy just take the ticket._

“Do you think you could let it slide this once? Given that it's my first offense?”

Oh boy. Here we go. Masen was giving him this big sheepish smile, expecting to buy his way out of the punishment with his pretty boy smile. Suddenly he looked more… human. No different from all the other bastards who tried getting out of their tickets too.

Charlie slid the ticket against his window since he wouldn't take it.

“You have up to 90 days to pay it off. Drive slower next time.” He advised the guy before heading to his own car, leaving the other kid scowling behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) [inspired by this](https://midnightsuntrash.tumblr.com/post/157830296335/the-fact-that-there-isnt-significant-80s) [and a little bit of this too honestly](http://68.media.tumblr.com/3f5bf9b05245af9c841b41a0aa3c7cda/tumblr_mjz9hqrlAx1rir0h2o1_540.jpg)
> 
> 2) Steve isn't an OC. He's a canon character who gets like one Mention in New Moon. Pretty sure he's Charlie's deputy or something? For the sake of the story he's an ascended extra. His only description is "affable" so I'm going with that. I gave him a last name tho.
> 
> 3) No offense to Billy Burke but I can't really imagine him as young Charlie. I don't know what he looks like young. I really like Billy Burke tho but I wouldn't fancast him, at his age, as 20 year old Charlie. So just imagine whoever you want. You're probably right.


	2. Open Book

Charlie had dreams about eyes that night. Lifeless green ones belonging to somebody that nobody ever got to in time, black button eyes that seemed to know more than you did, and forget-me-not hazy blues. He awoke with a start, pale and sweaty. The hairs on his neck needled, standing from a chill ghosting over the room. His eyes flickered to the open window, the source of the draft coming in. Of course it was cold. It was the middle of Autumn, cold enough to freeze piss. He grunted and lifted the sheets from his legs, striding over to the window, slamming it shut.  With his palms pressed against one another, he slid them vigorously in order to provide enough friction to warm them.

He still lived with his parents. Already, many of his classmates had left their nests, onto more distant horizons, opening new chapters in their lives, and all that graduation speech worthy stuff. He didn't particularly mind because for one thing, his parents had a thermostat, which was the most important thing in his one track mind currently.

Trudging over to the little white box, embedded into the wall of his living room, he turned the knob to raise the heat up a few notches. Warm air began to filter in through the vents, relaxing his muscles and nerves.

He had never gotten on with his classmates, always preferring the solitude. The closest things to friends he could say he had were some boys from La Push, Billy Black, Harry Clearwater, and Quil Ateara. But lately they'd become rather distant. There _was_ a statistic about friendships that didn't last after High School.

It was too late to go back to bed now. He needed to get to work in an hour. All that was left was to make breakfast and shower. He sniffed his shoulder.

Shower first.

Given that he wasn't much of a cook, maybe it was for the better that he never went to college. The best he could do was manage eggs and bacon. But when he got back downstairs, he could smell waffles, eggs, and bacon being made and stepped into the kitchen.

With a hand on the handle of the waffle iron, his mom stood, glancing over her shoulder to grin softly his way.

"Morning Sunshine. Thought I'd make breakfast so you wouldn't have to. Sit down.”

“Was just gonna grab a bowl of cereal…” He didn't really have time for breakfast.

“Sit down.”

He sat down.

Scooting his chair into the table, his mom began sliding food onto his plate. Charlie said a thank you, grabbing a utensil, glancing at his mom cautiously. She'd made breakfast his entire life, but it was more concerning now than it was when he was seven.

“You okay, Mom?” He asked carefully while watching her prepare another plate without bacon because his father could not have red meat.

“I'm just fine, hush up. You worry about me too much..” She shushed him, stubborn frown on her face when she took a seat across from him. She only had a mug of coffee and a slice of buttered toast, never having liked full breakfast meals. He would have made her something if she had let him. Even at her age she still scared him, especially when she was holding a spatula as a potential weapon.

Work was going to start in an hour, tardiness was something people wanted to avoid at Charlie’s stage in the workforce. When someone was new they were expendable, easily replaced when they didn't really have a fixed position in the first place. It was his last day in field training anyway. He still ate slowly, not wanting to rush in his mom's presence. Last days were pivotal sure, but they could be kick back if you were in the good graces of people in higher places. Mark enjoyed his company enough.

Ms. Swan was gazing at him with a dreamy smile, putting him at edge. The hazy eyes of his nightmares. Nervousness iced the edges of his heart when she spoke obliviously,”You still haven't told me when your graduation is going to be Charlie. Aren't you excited for it at all? When I graduated High School, I could hardly wait.”

Swallowing his breakfast thickly, Charlie forced himself to reply, “Mom, I… I graduated two years ago."

 

His mother's smile became tighter, realization flashing in her eyes.

“Oh. Yes of course, that's right…”

Her episodes were becoming more frequent and increasingly worse. She would not listen to her husband about seeing a doctor again. Last time, she’d been diagnosed with the early stages of Alzheimer's, something she refused to hear any more about. She wouldn't listen to Charlie either. The only thing Charlie could do was go along with it and remind her of the things that slipped her mind. As best as she could, she attempted to cover up what she could not remember in an effort to brush off the diagnoses as nothing. As more time passed, her efforts became shakier.

“Mom…” Charlie stretched a hand out to her slowly.

“Charlie. You're… a good boy.” She told him, a firmness in her tone, “You have work don't you? Run off or you'll be late. Don't worry about the dishes this time.”

Apprehension tensed his legs as he stood up, reluctant to leave her alone. He nodded brusquely, trying to make her feel comfortable by normalizing it. Was it healthy? No. But he needed to get to work anyway. With a furrow in his brows he stepped out the door to his car.

The station was always quiet in the mornings, fellow officers only just receiving their morning wake up calls in steamy mugs of coffee and treats. Black coffee was the best and most popular for that extra kick. Charlie took his that way, sprinkling cheating pinches of sugar to give it a twinge of flavor. Breakfast had filled him enough to pass on coffee that morning.

"You hear ‘bout the new transfer?” pitched a voice from right beside him, jump starting Charlie’s heart a few beats quicker. Breakfast hadn't fully woken him up then.

Cadet Steve So and So was speaking to him. Once again, his last name escaped him. Charlie wasn't sure why it was his business, there being a new transfer that was.

“Guy turns up dead yesterday and you wanna talk about some new guy?” He asked Steve, squinting in befuddlement,”You’re a funny guy."

Steve laughed a boyish laugh.

“Point. Buuut, I hear he's some hotshot from the city. He's already stealing the ladies' attention." 

"Not interested in dating anyway..." This wasn't High School.

"Not for you!" Steve swatted his arm with a file he had in his hands,"Me. How am I supposed to compete with a fancy big city guy? Anyway, you know who you're being rotated to today?"

It wasn’t unusual for a trainee to have multiple field training officers that they rotated around to. In some law enforcement agencies a trainee may spend weeks on each shift or in each specialty area of a department, during which time they could have multiple FTOs. Charlie only ever had two before. Field Training Officer Mark and Officer Waylon Forge. Waylon over time had grown to be more of a friend to him than a superior officer. Waylon was older than Mark though so it was odd.

Charlie however was done with that cycle.

“This is my last day. I'm getting issued a Patrol Car today..." 

“Nah uh, really? Congrats! I still gotta month.” Steve told him sullenly although Charlie hadn't asked,“You willin’ to trade off info? I'm being rotated off to Mark. I'll let you know which places give police discounts if you tell me how I can get on his good side...”

Charlie huffed and shook his head, turning around to go change and meet Mark out in the parking lot, "Stop chewing those plugs for one…”

He slipped into the locker rooms and got into uniform, dressing methodically before heading over to the lot where he usually met up with Mark. His field officer was leaning against the side of a beat up cruiser, drinking from a mug of coffee. Charlie should have felt disappointed looking at the thing. He really should have.

But somehow he didn't.  Looking at the Police car gave him a thrill because it signified so much. That this was it. He was officially a cop. He held back the urge to grin, only because he didn't want to give Mark the impression that he was being cocky. He was just happy, even if his morning hadn't started out as so.

"I know it ain't much to look at..." Mark began but Charlie didn't let him finish.

"No no. I love it." He tried to smile without appearing too enthusiastic.

"Hey. Don't forget that it's a privilege kid. It might be shabby but you're expected to take care of it."

Charlie stiffened and nodded,"Yessir."

Mark tossed him the keys.

"You're going to be assigned a partner. Two to every Patrol Car for saftey reasons." Mark explained to him as Charlie looked over the car. Charlie had a suspicion that it was less for safety and more for budget reasons.

"When will I meet my partner?" Charlie asked, less thrilled for that aspect. He didn't always get on with people very well. They were always too chatty and he never knew how to continue a conversation. It's why he had so few friends aside from his few.

"Today. And you'll start patrol with him tomorrow. Oh look there he is now." Mark clapped him on the back and turned him to face an approaching figure,"I think you'll get along well."

There he was, Edwin or Edgar or whatever his name was, walking their way with a look of amusement on his face. On his jacket was a shiny badge indicating his affiliation to Fork’s Police Department 

"This is Edward Masen." Charlie's  _former_  training officer introduced them,"Edward, this is Charlie." 

"No. I'm not buying it. No way are you an officer." Charlie gawped at Masen in open disbelief.  
  
Edward replied oh so innocently, tilting his head,"I have papers if you'd like to see them, Officer Swan." 

"You two have met before then?" Mark asked them with confusion on his face, but nodding anyway as he moved to leave,"Great. Then introductions'll be easier. I'll leave you to it. Congrats Charlie."

Mark walked away, most likely to head off and meet his new trainee. 

Charlie was still stunned.

“You’re too young.” 

“I'm Twenty-One." Masen's lips quirked into a smile,"But thank you, I'm flattered.”

“I gave you a traffic ticket.”

“Well, I'm by no means perfect. But as I told you yesterday, my driving record is cleaner than most. So I suppose you can say that I'm _near_ perfect.”

Charlie squinted at him, flustered but mostly annoyed.

 "Should we take today to get to know each other?" 

Charlie's hand squeezed the car keys,"You wanna laze around today?”

Somehow this wasn't how he pictured his first day

“Well no. But he said we'll be starting patrol tomorrow. So we have the opportunity to learn more about each other today. Beyond our driving history that is...” He said, his golden gaze inquisitively set on Charlie, waiting for him to say something. Gold. Damn, his eyes were yellow. Who had yellow eyes like that? They were black when Charlie pulled him over…

“You already have my name.” Charlie grunted awkwardly, not sure what else to say about himself. His mind was still reeling trying to figure out what the hell this guy was doing here. And whether or not he was legitimate.

“What about your likes? Dislikes? Hobbies?”

“ _You_ didn't tell me any of those.” All he knew about Masen was his name.

“What would you like to know about me then?” Masen’s lips twisted into an encouraging smile, "I'm an open book.”

Suspicion creeped up along Charlie’s spine. Yesterday there had been a murder. They got a new transfer just as Fork’s was buzzing with the topic of a death. Was a damn shame how death was treated in small towns. A conversation topic on level with a latest scandal. Did Masen transfer in just because there was a death? He would be disappointed… The most action they got in Forks was an occasional animal attack. The only reason Charlie had been there was because Mark had been the closest one at the time. Charlie almost wished he hadn't been. He couldn't help the 'what ifs' that rolled along. What if someone had got to him in time?

“They call you in because of the murder?” Charlie finally asked.

Surprise flickered across Edward’s features, blooming in his expression too honest to be… genuine. It was simply over the top.

“Of course not, Charlie. That would be a fast response wouldn't it? I only arrived yesterday… I'm from Port Angeles. Death isn't that exciting.” Masen admitted to him,”One speeding ticket and you think the worst of me.”

“I never said that.”   But oh Charlie had been thinking it sure.

“You were thinking that I'd enjoy the thrill of a murder case. Rookie officers don't even do much in those cases. I'm by no means excited that someone is dead."

“You don't know what I'm thinking.”

"You’re half right…” There it was, that look in his eyes that said he knew something he wasn't saying. Edward finished his thought, a pleasant note in his tone.

"One can only ever assume."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to post this yesterday but I'm graduating tomorrow so busy week!!!


	3. Phenomenon

Driving with Edward in the car was exactly how he expected it was going to be. Friggin’ annoying.

Chattiness wasn't the problem though. Masen was relatively quiet but strangely stiff the entire ride. His face was of a man who smelled something bad. He seemed fine before they got into the car but as soon as they did, someone might as well have stuck a stick up his ass. His nostrils would flare every now and again, lips pressed tightly together almost disapproving of the way Charlie was driving. Wasn't that ironic? As if the guy had any room to judge the way he drove a car.

Finally Charlie had to snap.

“ _What_?” He demanded.

Edward’s brows rose in calm confusion.

“I didn't say anything.” He said, tone short and clipped, “Is something bothering _you?”_

 

Annoying.

 

First patrol wasn't supposed to go this way, not in Charlie’s mind. He had imagined himself really making a difference, but there was not much of a difference to be made in Forks. ‘ _What were you thinking, Swan?’_ He thought to himself dryly, ' _That you’d arrest moss for being too green?’_ Because in Forks, watching Moss was ‘bout as exciting as things got. Not that he minded of course. He was comfortable with monotony and the town’s slow pace. The more boring the safer it was for other people. Of course, aside for that hiker in the woods. All the more experienced officers had been put on that case. Meaning: not him. But that wasn't what was bothering Charlie. What was the point of being assigned something like that only knowing that there was no more you could do to help the victim?

“No.” He answered monosyllabically, and then, "I'm fine…”

“Don't… do that.” Edward told him, annoyance screwing up his features.  

Why did they have to partner Charlie of with this creep? Normally when someone said that things were fine, that was a sign to drop the conversation. Do what? He hadn't _done_ anything to Edward.

“What are you talkin’ about?”

“Say you're fine when you're not.” Edward clarified, fingers fidgeting with the stereo, “People often do that. Now I _want_ to know.”

“Think we're just wasting gas is all…” It wasn't really a lie. He and Edward weren't exactly getting anything done and the gas was fueling their unproductive afternoon.

“At the speed you're driving?” lightly teased the pale boy, "It's hardly any gas at all…”

Somehow his light tone eased Charlie up a bit, but still he rolled his eyes, "It's called Going the Limit, Speed Racer. Maybe you should try it.”

The sound of knob turning continued from the passenger seat, almost inaudible under the roar of the motor. It was a lost cause, but Edward didn't give up on it. Each station played only the sound of static and incomprehensible jumbles of words.

“‘S’not going to work.” Charlie’s eyes briefly flickered to Edward’s slender fingers before directing his attention back on the road.

“Usually I'm so attuned to technology… It's very frustrating.” Edward dropped his fingers from the knobs. It probably wasn't his fault. Though Charlie loved their ride, love didn't change the shape it was in. The sound of the motor wasn't comforting because of the noise it gave off, it sounded comforting because that meant it was still working.

“I suppose this is just one that refuses to work for me.”

Charlie made a noncommittal sound in response, not bothering to assure him that the car was just shabby and that it wasn't really his fault. No need to make him feel better about himself.

After that brief exchange of words, Edward was back to being tensely silent. The entire ride was more tolerable when Charlie elected to simply ignore the passenger side of the vehicle. It started to drizzle droplets of rain after a while. It was a soothing sound but he knew better than to let himself be calmed by it. That was how most accidents happened; the rain would lull people to sleep and their deaths. The danger was especially prevalent as the roads grew slicker with puddles that collected into bigger pools of water. There was the secondary threat of losing traction on slippery streets, but after a lifetime lived in Forks, and an adolescence of driving to and from school, it was a minimal concern.

"I'm gonna stop and get something to eat.” He informed Edward, planning to stop at the nearest McDonald's as it neared 2:30, “You want something?”

“That depends on the location. At the risk of sounding picky, I don't enjoy fast food.”

“McDonald's…” Charlie answered a little awkwardly, try as he could, unable to really picture Edward eating a hamburger on second thought. His assumption wasn't wrong. The guy confirmed himself a food snob.

“Ah, as I thought. I'll pass. Thank you.”

Whatever. That simply meant that he didn't have to pay for the guy's food. Charlie settled on a spot across the street from the building, putting it into park before sliding the keys out. He gave Edward a quick glance,”I'll be right back then."

Edward nodded, otherwise paying him no mind as Charlie left. It was colder outside than in, even if the car's heater wasn't working. His cheeks and ears burned ice hot as he walked through the rain. It dampened his clothes unpleasantly, swamping his shoes with water as he crossed the street.

He was almost inside, where the restaurant was surely warm, made comfortable by a heating system their car lacked. Edward should have joined him, if not for food then the-

 

A force barreled into his side. His eyes widened but he didn't even have time to shout because he was flying across the parking lot, landing with a harsh smack against the pavement. Dirty water drenched his face; he swallowed mud and oil, trying to hack it back up again. No matter how much he sputtered he could still taste the rubbery petroleum.

He jerked his head up, too fast because everything spun in on itself, to get a look at his assailant; a blonde man with no shirt despite the cold, and jeans of all things, his hair tied into a soggy stubby ponytail. He was pale as death, easily passing as a relative of Edward’s. His eyes, even with all the mud and water obstructing Charlie’s vision, were piercingly bloody red.  

Charlie didn't- _couldn't_ even see him move when he did. He and his leg were a blur, kicking him straight in the ribs before he could lift his arms to block. He felt the world slide under him, but then realized that no, he had just been sent skidding into a Handicapped Parking Sign. Pain flared up his spine, pulling a strained gasp from him. In vain he tried to push himself up. He was a _cop._ He was supposed to be the dominating force that people shied away from.

“Too bad the rain washed away your scent…” lamented the ruby eyed man inspiring a horrible cold chill, “I haven't smelled anything so good in such a long-”

 Right before Charlie’s eyes, another blur slammed straight into his attacker, throwing him into a stop sign. The blonde man bent the metal upon impact but recovered, the blow having been nothing to him. Charlie had been thrown into one, but he was stunned still from the pain.

Once the figure had stopped, he was no longer a blur. He was a soggy Edward Masen, his shock of red hair now falling limply at his forehead, lips pulled back over his teeth, baring them in a snarl. Charlie’s heart was going faster, he wasn't sure why.

He shouldn't have been distracted by Edward because when he looked back toward the ruby eyed man he had disappeared.

"Where did he go?!” Charlie shouted, still tasting oil in his mouth as the rain came down harder and Edward crouched down beside him,”Call it in, Masen!”

“He's gone, Charlie.”

“Wha-” He stared at the pale boy incredulously, “ What in the goddamn hell is wrong with you? What does that matter? Call it in!”

“We need to call an ambulance.”

Charlie didn't know, didn't care however they did things in the city. He stood up, ignoring the flaring pain at the base of his spine, and shoved him. It didn't do any good, might as well have slapped a wall, but it further enraged him.

“Edward! _The Station_ will dispatch one for us!”

Edward put his hands on his shoulders, trying to calm him and get back down onto the ground. Worry was written all over his face, making it seem as though Charlie was being unreasonable. But how was Charlie irrational? They needed to do their job. He didn't need to be calmed! They needed to call the station!

“Lie back down. Before you hurt yourself further,” Edward advised him disapprovingly, ignoring Charlie’s protests that he wasn't hurt at all, “I'll call it in however you need to lie down. You’re going to strain your injury.”

Finally Charlie got back down onto the ground with an annoyed grimace, his cheek against the wet pavement, protesting halfheartedly now, "It's wet…”

“You get thrown into a pole and your worries are focused on the wet floor?” Edward draped his jacket over him to provide makeshift shelter from the rain, chidding him,“Priorities, Charlie. I'll be right back.”

Masen stood and jogged his way back to their car, prompting Charlie to wonder how he was ever able to move to his location so quickly that he hadn't been visible to the eye. He watched the pale boy’s retreating back almost dazedly.


	4. **BONUS CHAPTER** Visions

Freaks stuck together.

But even so, Edward felt --knowing he was going to get the most heat from the rest of his family-- that in hindsight, agreeing to keep Alice’s secrets wasn't the best way he could have helped. Not even she enjoyed keeping secrets, and keeping them from Jasper even less. That's why it failed to bother her as much as it would have. Jasper knew. He had forged Edward’s documents, allowing him into Fork’s Police department.

Freaks stuck together. At the moment that's where the line was divided. Between He, Alice, Jasper, and the rest of the family.

They were all gathered in the kitchen, repurposed into their conference room since they had no need to dine. It was their home in Forks Washington, which they had not planned on relocating to yet, and everyone was present save Carlisle. He was at the hospital, trying to put in a request to transfer now that it was becoming apparent that they would be settling in Forks. There was no danger of the hunter coming after Charlie with another vampire in the vicinity of his game. Alice saw that Charlie would be safe in the time this unexpected family meeting was taking. Not that Edward… _cared_. He wasn't supposed to care. Charlie was nothing to him, yet when he thought of the light leaving his eyes it… was enough to nearly drive him mad. His nearly silent mind would be permanently silenced by death. That's what Edward told himself. That it was the difficulty he had reading the young officer’s mind which made him a curiosity to Edward.

They never had a meeting without the head of their family being present, which spoke volumes about the urgency at which his 'siblings' felt this matter needed to be discussed. Naturally no decision would be made without Carlisle. They were just talking, and a thousand thoughts were assaulting him at once. Esme’s silent worrying, Rosalie’s annoyance, and Emmett’s… amusement.

_‘Heard you got a speeding ticket, kid. Losing your touch?’_

Ah. Edward had almost forgotten actually. Emmett wasn't completely wrong. The muddled and hard to hear nature of Charlie’s mind had prevented Edward from hearing him in time, catching him by surprise. It was lucky.

“Edward, what exactly is going on?” came Esme’s soft tone. She had asked him because his behavior was the strangest. Alice wasn't the one masquerading as a cop. She hadn't risked exposure by engaging a vampire in a fight in front of a human.

“Alice had a vision…” Edward began to explain as best as he could but it felt wrong. Like it was a lie. It wasn't entirely a lie. He _could_ give that as an explanation. That Alice had a vision of the Tracker hunting an insignificant officer. A tracker who somehow dredged up a sense of deja vu within her. She knew him but didn't know from where, having lost all of her human memories. It was a feeling, a hunch, that he was linked to her past somehow. If the Tracker were to kill his target, he would move on, and they would have to locate him all over again. It was a logical, rational explanation to Esme’s question. They would have no reason to doubt him.

But that wasn't what he had been thinking when the Tracker was mere inches from taking Charlie’s life. At the time all he could think was: _Not him!_ Thus, it would be a lie to say he was acting in Alice’s interest. He was acting in his own.

“Don't blame Edward. It's… it's my fault.” Alice interrupted so that he didn't have to lie,”I made him. I had a vision of this Vampire who's specialty is Tracking and I think I know him… _knew_ him. In my human life I mean. I'm so sure of it!”

 _‘Why else would I be having visions of him? Maybe my subconscious is telling me something…’_ Alice reasoned out in her head. Edward didn't have the heart to tell her she might be wrong. Her visions weren't always accurate. He was humoring her with all of this.

“Your visions aren't always the clearest, Alice.” Rosalie criticized dryly, and Edward didn't like how she was thinking the same thing he was.

“This isn't just about what I _saw_ in my vision,” Alice disagreed with a shake of her head, “This is about how I _felt_ when I saw him in my visions. I recognized him even though I don't remember meeting him at all! I don't usually have visions about people I'm not focusing on either. It _has_ to be a sign! Call it a hunch if you want, but I just _know_ him somehow.

“That's why we need to keep Officer Swan alive,” Alice continued, her smile assuring that she was sound in her reasoning, “If he dies then the Tracker might move on and I'll have to look for him all over again.”

“Alice! You have Edward risking our safety all on a _hunch_ you have that you knew this Vampire when you were human?” Rosalie hissed, clearly not impressed by Alice’s logic,”You don't even know this Vampire! How are you so sure he isn't hostile? Or that he'll even speak with you once you do get his attention! He won't be pleased with you when he finds out you've kept him from sinking his teeth into his meal!”

The room began to tinge red hot. Edward’s fists were clenched too, he hadn't realized that, fingers digging furiously into his palms. Were he human, he would have drawn blood. His hands trembled where he'd balled them in his lap. How _dare_ she? Did she see Officer Swan’s death as something _preferable_ to saving him? How dare she!

He caught Jasper’s inquisitive stare and ignored him. He was too busy seething.

“I haven't seen that far yet…” Alice admitted, trying to appeal to the optimist in Rosalie ( _That was laughable_ ), “But I'm sure it'll be fine…”

Rosalie hissed again.

Carefully, Esme mediated between the two of them, “I don't want a fight to break out over this…”

“Jasper! Aren't you at all worried about your wife? How are you going along with this? Edward I understand, he's an idiot, but _you?_ ” Rosalie shot at him incredulously.

Edward rolled his eyes, sneering in his irritation at her, “Your hypocrisy astounds me, Rosalie. Nobody ever stopped you from playing at assassin when _you_ had loose ends to tie left from _your_ human life.”

It was cruel of him, but he enjoyed her flinch and the way she grit her teeth. That moment of satisfaction was just that, a moment. Edward caught a slip in her thoughts and then had the decency to feel a fraction of guilt. She didn't want Alice to get hurt. What surprised Edward was how she didn't want _him_ getting hurt either. He thought Rosalie the epitome of shallowness, but he had to give her credit. She was selfish but she _cared._

 _‘Harsh bro…’_ Emmett thought to him disapprovingly, displeased with the way he'd brought up bitter memories. This only made Edward feel worse.

Jasper gave Rosalie a faint smile, a mysterious one that said he knew better than to bet against Alice.

“I trust her.” He said, and Alice kissed his cheek.

“I can't believe this.” Rosalie scoffed and shook her head.

Emmett put an arm around her shoulders, “Come on babe, it's one vampire. He's not gonna hurt anything. He's outnumbered.”

“There are three actually.” Alice pipped up unhelpfully, “He's part of a coven but they weren't with him this time.”

“Still though… three against seven?” Emmett rubbed her shoulder, calming her,“If worst comes to worst we'll just take them on. They won't leave a scratch on us.”

“Besides, I'd be very put out if the Tracker did end up hurting Charlie.” Alice continued, “We're friends! Or at least… we're _going_ to be. I can see that much.”

Edward’s brows knitted together. Now Alice was actively hiding her thoughts, skirting around something she was trying not to think about so Edward wouldn't see.

“What are you hiding?” Edward accused and she faltered. That misstep was all it took. Edward saw what she saw then.

Officer Swan, his hand cupping at the back Edward's neck. The look on Charlie's face was soft and he was leaning in to touch his lips to his own-

“No!” Edward shouted absolutely horrified, “No, no, no! Alice! I'm not- _”_

Alice frowned disapprovingly, “Nobody here would judge you, Edward. Least of all me. We wouldn't care if you were. We're family.”

“I’ve known him for all of three days!”

“What?” Emmett asked vocally, “No what? What's going on?”  

Rosalie watched with rapt interest, able to glean what was happening from Edward’s reaction and Alice’s assuring smile and the more Alice spoke the more it confirmed her suspicion. Her thoughts suddenly became repulsive to Edward, if he thought she was bad before she was _offensive_ now.

_Guess it makes sense now why he wasn't attracted to me-_

A growl sounded in Edward’s chest. As if beauty was the only thing that appealed to him.

“Edward, every minute you spend with him it becomes more certain. Without knowing, your mind is being made up slowly…” Alice explained gently to his growing horror.

“Can someone enlighten us normal vampires?” Emmett sighed dramatically, finding humor in that phrase.

“Edward?” Esme asked, there was only concern in her voice.

“It's obvious…” Rosalie said, amusement in her eyes, “He's falling for that human police officer.”

 _‘Woah, what?! Well I mean… I kind of saw that coming I think.’_ Emmett processed in his head before remembering Edward could hear, then aloud he muttered, “No offense, kid.”

Esme’s thoughts were the worst of all.

She actually felt _joy._

Edward had to leave. There was too much going on. He needed to leave. He pushed up out of his seat and stormed out. He ran out of the house, unsure of which direction he was going. He just needed to _run_ away from it all. From Esme’s misplaced happiness for him, from Rosalie’s mocking amusement, Alice’s acceptance.

Their voices began to grow muted until he could no longer hear them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -breathes heavily-


	5. Invitation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not beta read

Charlie didn't like hospital food much but he couldn't complain about it that morning. Thick pancakes were drenched in sticky sweet syrup, and he hadn't eaten since yesterday. His stomach was making groans of complaints he was quick to silence with every gulp of food. Wasn't good. Wasn't bad neither.

Interrupting his meal was a knock on the door. Charlie finished his bite before clearing his throat, “Come in!”

The door slowly swung open.

Aw hell.

In walked in his parents. Charlie became stiff as a rod only he relaxed with a wince at the pain that the position inflicted on his back. Ouch. Not that he didn't want to see them but they didn't need to go worrying themselves about him. Now he was causing them unnecessary grief.

“Charlie!” His mother breathed in relief, “Are you alright?”

“Just fine. Nothing serious. I'm taking time off work though.”

On his first week going solo. He was gonna be the laughing stalk of Fork’s Police Department. Humiliation made him somewhat flustered when he answered but his mother and father didn't care about that.

“What happened?” his mother fretted, smoothing her palm over his forehead in order to brush back the hair hanging in his face. He was further embarrassed by the display of affection. He was _fine._

“Got slammed into a pole. Doc said I have a herniated disc but that I won't need surgery. Just recovery time and some meds, then I'll be back on my feet. So don't worry ‘bout it.”

“‘Slammed into a pole?’” quoted his father, “How on earth did you manage that?”

Charlie told him about the same thing he had reported to the station when they asked his summary of the events, “Some guy, on drugs or something, came out of nowhere. The rain made the ground slippery so when he shoved me I slipped and hit a pole…”

His report to the station had been more detailed of course. It wasn't the whole truth but he didn't want to be dismissed as a damn lunatic for saying he had been tossed across the parking lot by a man with demonic red eyes and inhuman speed. He settled for what was believable. He had gotten into a struggle with a shirtless man with blonde hair who could have been abusing substances given his seemingly bloodshot eyes.

“We're glad you're okay.” Geoffrey Swan shook his head, “Honestly Charlie, you damn near gave me a heart attack when we got the call that you were in the hospital. Maybe you're not cut out for police work.”

“M’alright, okay? I'll be more careful next time,” Charlie sighed, shaking his head,”This kind of thing doesn't happen often anyway.”

Should be impossible, what he'd seen actually. It bothered Charlie deeply. He wasn't delusional, seeing things that weren't there, and knowing this disturbed him further. What? Did Forks actually have their own resident demons now? He knew what he saw, and Charlie wasn't a fool to go turning against god or whatever people did to invite in the devil and his henchmen. He attended church (semi-irregularly) and knew somebody who wanted to become a Pastor. He hadn’t made mysterious back alley deals as of late. Wasn’t that enough? He knew Edward had his answers. Charlie just had a _gut feeling_ he was involved. The freak had been moving at the same speed, almost invisible to the eye. The only bright side was, he had a feeling Edward didn't want him dead or he wouldn't have stepped in yesterday.

Seeing his troubled face, his mother looked concerned asking, “Is everything alright? Is your back bothering you?”

Charlie shook his head grimly, not bothering to alleviate her worries. He had his own.

“Billy called this morning,” His mom added lightly, “I know you two are having a little feud-”

“We're not fighting,” Charlie replied, confusion flickering across his features, “We're just… distant. We're not fighting.”

 

They weren't fighting.

 

Billy didn't talk to him anymore.

 

Why did he call?

“Oh? You're not fighting about the scratch on the truck anymore?” His mom asked curiously, “Did he get it out?”

Next to her, Geoffrey shifted in discomfort. Charlie let it pass, didn't bother to correct her on the fact that it had actually been a few years since that incident when he and Billy were Sixteen. That wasn't the reason for the distance though.

“No mom and yes. He did.” Charlie said patiently, “Why did Billy call? What did he want?” 

They weren't fighting but the last time they had met was the day before Charlie graduated from the Police Academy. The young man seemed disheartened with something and had seemed a little off when Charlie mentioned his graduation.

‘ _Figure I can do something to help people.’_ Charlie had said then and still meant now.

 

Billy had chuckled almost bitterly, _‘I wanted to do that once. I was forced to grow up.’_

 

Charlie had been left feeling a little insulted. They fell out of contact after that only talking with each other in passing or if they had to. But they _weren't_ fighting. Suddenly Charlie was eager to know what he wanted though.

“He wanted to invite you to watch the game this Friday but I told him what happened. He was worried about you when I said that you were in the Hospital.” His mother mentioned, patting his knee, “Maybe he'll stop by the house when you're let go.”

Charlie nodded his head halfheartedly, overwhelmed. He didn't feel like seeing Billy at the moment. His mind was still reeling, replaying last night over and over in his mind. Company quite frankly, especially the kind he was on not so good terms with, sounded exhausting.

He ate the rest of his pancakes in silence, thanking god that at least Edward wasn't here, with some bullshit about paying his partner company.


	6. Blood Type

Physical Therapy started the week after Charlie was released from the hospital and he almost found himself wishing that the guy who nearly killed him had finished the job. Right about now, he was considering ending it once and for all. How does one exactly put up with some well-to-do asshole telling you to do some stretches? The whole ordeal was demasculinizing. Just more fuel to pour into this dumpster fire of a month. Nice. _‘Only a few more days of this.’_ He reminded himself in an effort to keep his own spirits up. It wasn’t working.

His parents were home as usual when Charlie stepped out of his car and hobbled over inside. He aimed to sneak his way in, to avoid a worried interrogation over his PT. It worked. He was halfway up the stairs when the doorbell rang, sabotaging his getaway. His mother approached the door, pausing at the bottom stair when she spotted him. Damn, he had been so close…

“I didn’t know you were home, sweetheart. One second.” She went to answer the door.

Charlie made a noncommittal sound in the back of his throat, ascending up the stairs as though he hadn’t been intercepted. Once there he shut the door behind him gently and eased himself into his bed with a grunt. Painkillers… he needed painkillers. As soon as he worked the strength to get back up again. He closed his eyes to get some rest but was too bothered to sleep.

_Billy had called when he was in the hospital._

Charlie kept his eyes closed, but his brows knitted together tightly.

But Billy hadn’t known he was in the hospital until his mom had broken the news to him. He couldn’t have been worried if he hadn’t known.

_What would he think now?_

In any case, he wasn’t looking for Billy’s concern.

“Charlie! Someone’s at the door for you! I’m sending them up.”

He fought the urge to groan and remained where he was when the knock sounded at the door.

“Come in.” He drawled, not bothering to push himself up.The door swung open in response as Steve sauntered his way in with the ease of someone who walked into the room a thousand times before. It was annoying as hell. Charlie gritted his teeth at him.

“So… a bunch of us down at the station got worried over you.” He informed him affably, "I volunteered myself as ambassador of people worried about you of course, and came to check in.”

Charlie was surprised. Flattery bloomed in red across his face.

“People… were worried about me?”

They didn’t think he was an incompetent officer? Made sense he supposed. People didn’t take too kindly to cop killers though, not in a small town like Forks. Whoever this guy was, the public would definitely be on the lookout. Charlie wondered who he should be more worried over, them or Red Eyes.

“Look, don’t get a big head about it or anything.” Steve waved off the flattery, producing something from behind his back. It was a white plastic bag of Japanese take out. Charlie’s stomach growled from the smell alone.

“Figure burgers woulda been in bad taste. You know since what happened outside Mcdonald's.” Steve shrugged and tossed him the bag. He caught it gratefully and raided through it, pulling out its contents.

“So Masen hasn’t been around either.” Steve said as Charlie began eating. He wasn’t sure why that was his problem. If Masen got fired that was on him. Worst case scenario, Charlie would be assigned a partner who didn’t make faces at his driving. So what?

“So?”

  
“Well he’s your partner. Thought you’d know where he was,” Steve shrugged, “People are worried over him too. He was involved in the attack and stuff…”

Charlie snorted, recalling how Edward had blurred to his rescue. Yeah there were people who deserved pity and concern. Masen wasn’t one of them.

“What’s so funny? Don’t think he deserves basic human kindness and all that too?” Steve asked rhetorically, this was funny from the guy cracking jokes at a dead body.

Charlie sighed and answered him, out of guilt mostly, “S’not that… I just...”

“Nah, don’t worry about it, ‘kay.” Steve shook his head, “I’m just saying, everyone’s glad you guys are okay. This will probably blow over in a few months after we catch the guy responsible.”

Yeah.

The following week, Charlie was permitted back to work. His back hurt less, he was more stiff, but all around alright to function and uphold his job description. There was no sign of Edward on his first day back.

Or the next day

Or the next.

“Were his injuries that bad?!” Charlie snapped annoyed one day while clocking in. One of the secretaries looked up from filing her work. Her name was Melina something. He didn’t care at the moment to remember. She was a nervous little lady and his exclamation had startled her. She stammered a reply to him, gripping her folder tightly to her chest.

“I-I’m sorry? Who do you mean?”

“Masen.” He snapped his fingers, pointing to the name on the card, “Were his injuries _that_ bad?”

“I-I Don’t think I’m allowed to say,” Melinda squeaked, “B-But I heard they were _pretty_ bad, sir.”

Charlie growled under his breath.

_Yeah Right._

He didn’t know why Masen’s absence irritated him so badly. Patrol alone wasn’t so terrible. The car rumbled its questioning roar to fill up the silence. Unease always settled over his shoulders every time he took the car out. He wished it wasn’t an effect of having been attacked, but he couldn’t really _say_ that. At odd times when he stopped to park somewhere, the hairs on the back of his neck would stand, and he’d get cold shivers at night as if someone were there. He knew nobody was.

Charlie was just… on his toes more often now.  

Steve seemed to get the idea that they were friends now. Charlie didn’t protest this because he wasn’t a bother. Like clockwork everyday at lunch he would roll by his cruiser and plop himself down on the hood like it wasn’t anybody’s business, bag of Japanese takeout in hand. And everyday Charlie would refuse a shared offer of his food. He couldn’t understand how someone could eat the same thing every day.

“The Japanese say,” Steve said in a faux mysterious way, “That a person’s blood type can say a lot about their personality.”

Charlie hummed not particularly paying attention. While Steve was seated on his cruiser, Charlie was inside in the driver’s seat. He was staring at the entrance to the Fork’s Police Department parking lot. He was waiting for something to happen. He wasn’t sure what.

“I wonder what it says about mine.”

Charlie had a lot to say about his personality.

“Do you know your blood type?”

“It’s on my medical record.”

“So you don’t know it?”

“Nope.”

“Oh. Do you have a guess?”

“How am I supposed to _guess_ what kind of blood I have, Steve?” Charlie chuckled, surprised at the bubble of laughter that had come from his throat.

He cleared it and went back to looking to the parking lot entrance, once again half heartedly listening to what Steve was saying. And then he knew what he was waiting for, why he was watching…

He was waiting for Edward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Charlie in the last chapter: i hope Edward doesn't visit me in the hospital.
> 
> Charlie now: where is edward?


	7. Scary Stories

After all these years of marriage, Charlie could tell his parents were in love.

Their touches said it all. Every time his father picked up her hand to hold it in his. They communicated it through glances and smiles. It was carried in their every word, breath, every kiss. They were in love.

Which is what made this so _fucking_ hard to watch.

He had come back home after work, pausing when he looked over the house. Needed a new paint job, he decided. He would do it this weekend maybe. The white paint was starting to chip in some places and besides, it wasn’t like he had anything better to do. His hand brushed over the pale wall, chipping it further by accident. Standing up from his crouch, he walked inside to see his mom frozen in place at the center of the living room. Blood left his face when he realized what she had in her hands.

It was a gun.

She had it pointed straight at his father who sat still on the couch.

His dad put a finger to his lips, and motioned for Charlie to make a run for it. For the phone, for the door. Just to go anywhere except here.

“Helen… what’s that in your hands, sweetheart?” Geoffrey attempted to reason with his wife, but her eyes were looking right passed him. He wasn’t there to her. Charlie could only stare in frozen terror.

"Why do you have that? Put it down, sweetheart... You don’t want that old thing...” He continued to try and persuade.

"I don’t?” Helen asked dazed.

“No. You just put it down now and come sit down with me.”

"No!” Helen vehemently protested, “Judith gave it to me as a gift! She is a good friend to me, Geoffery!”

Judith? Judith. Why did that name sound familiar? Charlie wracked his brain trying to think under the pressure, keeping his eyes on the gun as he slowly made his way toward his mom. Judith… That was Billy’s mom. But she had died a long time ago. Charlie’s mother and his had been friends for some time. That’s how Charlie got to know Billy. He didn’t have time to puzzle over _why_ his mother thought Billy’s mom had given her a gun.

He began to feel cold sweat at his temple, now only a few steps behind his mother and the weapon. He lifted his arms, ready to grab her. 

“ _Charlie don’t!”_ His father begged but he couldn’t stop him. Helen had turned sharply and Charlie’s arms were on her.  She wasn’t as strong as he was and he was able to wrestle the weapon out of her frail hands. Helen gasped, Charlie wasn’t sure if it was in shock or pain, but he pulled her close to him and restrained her.

Geoffrey immediately shot up and went to dial an ambulance.

“Charlie?” His mother asked him, she could have stabbed him in the chest and he wouldn’t have known the difference. The vulnerability and confusion of her tone had his eyes watering. She continued, still lost, “What happened? Did something break?”

“No Mom,” He said, his voice breaking, “Just hold on, okay?”

He feared they would take her away. That's the last thing he wanted. The entire reason he had not went off to college with the rest of his classmates was so that he could stay home and take care of her and his dad. What was the point of it all if they decided she needed to be carted off to a rest home? They’d mistreat her there. He didn’t want to be that sick, ungrateful son, the kind who’d abandon the folks who looked after him his entire life. A sob built up in his chest. He tried his best to swallow it.

“Is everything okay?” Helen asked him, puzzled, her eyes were wide.

Charlie just shook his head.

The ambulance arrived within fifteen minutes. They would only let one person into the vehicle with them. Geoffrey shot Charlie a pained glance.

Charlie motioned for him to go.

“Yeah dad, go with mom. I’ll meet you there tomorrow.” He said, trying hard to keep a lid on the feelings tearing at his chest. He must not have been doing a good job. His dad put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed.

“Everything will be fine, son.” He assured with a sad little smile. He turned to the door, leaving for the shiny red ambulance parked outside. Leaving Charlie to stand alone in the living room. He did not cry.

Instead he shot a glance at the gun his mother had been wielding. He bent down to retrieve it, picking it up to examine it. He found that it was _old_. The first five shot revolver old. It had clearly been taken care of because the metal still shined. Question was, where did his mom get it? He couldn’t take her word for it clearly.

It _was_ marked with the initials E. Black

 

Black.

  
Charlie knew a Black alright.

His hand clenched around the handle of the gun and he marched to his car. When he got in, he stepped on it damn near to its full speed. He was heading to Billy Black’s house. He was white knuckling the steering wheel, didn’t slow down, not even when he got to the Reservation. The intensity he was driving at could be told in the screech that sounded as soon as the car halted. It lifted so much dust from the dirt roads that it was almost hard to breathe. Charlie got out and slammed the Cruiser’s door striding purposefully over to Billy's porch. When the boy answered his knock, Charlie wordlessly shoved the revolver to him.

“Don’t leave your _shit_ at my house ever again.” He sneered at him, face hot with fury over what happened as a result.

“So not even a hello huh? I wish you would tell me what I did wrong, Charlie. I don’t even know what you’re talking about." Billy sighed deeply, he didn’t even examine the revolver, shoving it back to him.

 _"This_ was how you decided to get my attention?!” He spat, he could feel his face getting hotter, hand squeezing the gun.

“Charlie. Calm. Down.” Billy ordered composedly,”Before you do something you regret. You’re armed right now.”

Charlie snorted. He wasn’t an idiot. He knew how to use a gun. He stuck the thing into his pocket.

"Now, tell me what you’re talking about because you're being unfair to me don't you think?” Billy said, opening his door wider in invitation for Charlie to come in, as if the weeks of radio silence between them had been nothing. Charlie reluctantly stepped inside. At the sight of the familiar home, bleak numbness washed over him. He couldn’t feel a damn thing. Whether that was better or worse was impossible to tell. Robotically, he told his friend all about what had happened in these last few hours.

“Charlie… I’m so sorry but I didn’t leave that gun at your house. I haven’t been to your house since you stopped talking to me. ” Billy said with a frown on his face.

"Since _I_ stopped talking to you?” Charlie repeated blankly, “You called me childish.”

Now, Billy appeared sheepish.

"To tell the truth, I was pretty jealous of you.” He admitted to him, “You were moving on to become a hotshot cop and I was… Well, It sounds kind of silly now.”

“What?” Charlie prompted, not just because he wanted a distraction, but because he really did want an explanation as to why his friend had been acting so strange.

“I’m not supposed to tell anybody.” Billy shrugged coolly, “I guess I can tell you though since it doesn’t really matter anymore. Legend has it that our tribe, well, we have… let's call them ‘protectors.’ I was supposed to be one of them. I thought so anyway. I was... angry when it just didn’t happen for me.”

"Protectors?”

“Yeah. That what the legends say.” Billy sighed, leaning back against the wall, “I guess I didn’t handle fate’s rejection very well.”

“Billy you can still be a protector.” Charlie’s brows furrowed in confusion, “Becoming a protector isn’t somethin’ that just happens, they’re actions that you take. You don’t have to wait for it to happen.”

Billy snorted and looked off to the side.

"Sure Sure…”

"What are these legends about?” Charlie asked, crossing his arms across his chest nonchalantly.

"You sure you have time for scary stories? You don’t have somewhere to be?” Billy hinted most likely referring to the hospital. A lump formed in Charlie’s throat. He thought he ought to give his mom and dad some time alone.

"What kind of scary stories?” He prompted his friend, subtly urging him to go on.

"They're about Vampires…”

Charlie stared at him unamused. Billy chuckled at his expression and headed over to the kitchen.

“Do you want anything?”

"A beer if you got any thanks.”

Billy grabbed him a drink and handed it to him, “I'm serious about the Vampires. Legend has it that our ancestors were werewolves. If vampires ever crossed onto their land, it would trigger something inside of them and they'd turn into wolves to protect their home.”

Charlie stared at him strangely. It was more believable than Billy thought. Considering what had happened to Charlie a few weeks ago… He swallowed hard. Vampires. Okay. Yeah. Yes. Vampires.

“Vampires.” He muttered as the realization dropped into the pit of his stomach like a ton of bricks. What would Billy do if he knew how real those legends of his were? The red eyes suddenly made sense. The guy had been after his blood. Charlie had encountered a real life vampire. And that hiker in the woods… he must have been killed by one too, slaughtered for his blood and left to die like a piece of meat.

He felt light headed.

"You okay?” Billy asked him, leaning in closer to him.

“Yeah. Just thinking about my mom.” Charlie half lied. That was certainly part of it though. He felt sick. What if the vampire decided he wanted his mother too while she was in the hospital?

“She's going to be fine…” Billy said, so sure that she was, “You'll see. If you want you could stay the night so you don't have to be alone.”

“Thanks. I'll uh crash on your couch. Sorry… ‘bout being so hard on you lately.” Charlie awkwardly apologized, rubbing the back of his neck, “Didn't mean for it to go on as long as it did. I was… I don't know.”

"I hurt your feelings?” Billy guessed lightly, "I didn't mean to do that.”

Charlie’s cheeks reddened.

“Yeah. That.” He coughed into his fist, taking a swig of his beer. _Feelings._ For Christ’s sake.

“Heh. I know you like to pretend you don't have any.” He smirked at him, “But everyone does. And so, I'm sorry for hurting yours. Friends?”

Charlie nodded and held his beer can up in salute.

  
“Yeah.”


	8. Nightmare

He woke up in a field of flowers, but if anyone asked him Charlie would not know their names. He couldn’t even really tell what they looked like, couldn’t really examine them in depth, just knew that they were pretty. He pushed himself up off the ground and noted that there was no stiffness in his back. He didn’t hurt anymore, like the sun had burned away all his pains and aches. He tried focusing on the flowers once more, trying to see if any were recognizable but no matter how hard he stared he couldn’t quite make out their details even though they were right in front of him. Immediately he knew it was a dream.

Black shiny shoes obstructed his vision of the flowers. Something inside him knew he should not look up to see who it was. Something would happen if he looked up, he didn’t know what, he just _knew_ it would. As though it were _wrong_ for him to. As though he didn’t _deserve_ to look up. Unworthy. Water began to drip from the skies, pattering down onto his cheeks. Where had the sun gone?

_Don’t look._

_Don’t look._

_DON’T LOOK UP._

  
His eyes strayed, temptation beating out fear, upward onto the strong legs that held up the man like a marble statue, roaming the broad expanse of his chest, and he saw that the man had his hand held out to him. He was beckoning him over, closer to him. Finally his eyes landed on the predatory smile and did not dare go any further. His eyes were fixed on elongated fangs.

“Shame the rain washed away your smell…”

But it hadn’t come out in the voice he expected it to come out in.

It hadn’t been the blonde red eyed man who had spoken it like he had in the parking lot that day. It was Edward’s voice. Charlie’s eyes focused on his full form and indeed, there he stood, pale perfection. The rain poured mercilessly, drenching Charlie so that he was soaked to the bone. Yet, water failed to touch Edward. Like Charlie, it knew of its unworthiness; knowing somehow that it had no right to lay upon his skin. His hair remained its untamed mess of beauty.

His eyes were not black, nor gold, but a candy apple red, inviting him to lean in and get a better look at them.

“I haven’t smelled anything so good in such a long time…”

Charlie shot up with a gasp, blood pulsing loudly in his ears and in other places where it shouldn’t have been. His face contorted into an expression of horror at the ache of arousal between his legs.

No.

“No.” He decided very firmly aloud, laying back down, “Never happened. Never did.”

He closed his eyes and decided to go back to sleep, adjusting so that he was more comfortable on Billy Black’s couch.

Fat lotta good that did. In the morning, he didn’t forget about his weird dream about Masen. He didn’t want to delve into what it meant or the implications behind sprouting an erection over a dream about a man telling him he smelled good. Instead, he opted to just not deal with it. This was one of those things that wasn’t necessary to dwell on. Some things just needed to be left alone. He could kill himself over the many mysteries of life, could ask the universe why things happen the way they do but it’d get nothing done. Shrug it off and move on. It meant nothing.

_I haven’t smelled anything so good in such a long time…_

Charlie’s fingers threaded in his hair and he tugged.

He was goin’ _nuts._

“You alright Charlie?” Billy asked him, yawning when he walked through the door of his bedroom. Wordlessly, Charlie threw the sheets off of himself and got up.

“Need to take a piss…” He excused as he made his way toward the bathroom.

“No need to announce it to the world…”

Charlie shoved the door open and locked it behind himself. _Jesus fucking Christ._

He was still in his uniform from work yesterday, but it was ruffled looking and obviously slept in. He hadn’t changed before barging into Billy’s home. He was too upset ‘bout his mom, and the possibility that they’d take her away. He sighed and splashed water over his face, fixing his shirt so he looked somewhat presentable when he walked into work today. He had meant to call in yesterday but hadn’t gotten around to it. Looks like he’d have to pay Mom a visit after he was done with his shift.

He finished his business, cleaned himself up, and left the bathroom. Charlie shook the dream from his head. He had things to do, he couldn’t keep… daydreaming about _Vampires._ Ha. Vampires were his whole problem. He swore under his breath and came face to face with Billy in the livingroom.

“Oh.” He said, nearly bumping into him, “Sorry. Yeah Billy, think I’m gonna head to the station now before I run late. I’ll stop by again next weekend maybe.’

Billy had an unreadable expression on his face.

“Be careful, Charlie.”

“Right…” He agreed if only to humor him. How much trouble could someone possibly get into in Forks? Oh right. His life was a shitty soap opera as of late, what with the weird unexpected sex dreams, vampires, and his ill mother. He wouldn’t be surprised if tomorrow his long lost, inexplicably Spanish accented, evil twin brother showed up knocking on his door. Just some more crazy bullshit to add onto his plate.

Needless to say, he was in a terrible mood when he arrived at the station. He clocked in with extra viciousness, making Melina or Melinda (he forgot her name once again) giggle at him. Before she had been nervous around him, but now she was used to his grumpy morning demeanor and found him to be adorable for whatever reason.

  
“Good Morning, Officer Swan.”

Charlie grumbled in reply.

“Well, I think you’ll find it good when I tell you that Edward’s back in today.”

Charlie choked on air. True to her word, there was Edward’s time card, punched in.

  
Why? Why did he have to be back today of all days in particular?

“He’s in the breakroom right now.” Melina offered with a smile.

Charlie was staying away from the break room. Instead he looked for excuses to linger behind and chat with Melina, eyes flickering to the cork board posted with announcements up by the entrance. **Forks Police Department Halloween Ball.**

“Police don’t have balls…” Charlie found himself muttering before he realized the double entendre he had made. He became flustered when Melina _laughed_ at him and scratched his cheek in embarrassment, looking down at his shoes.

“Oh yeah, Officer Swan,” She said excitedly, “It’s going to be so fun. Are you going?”

Charlie snorted.

“No.”

Melina’s face fell, “O-Oh.”

Guiltily, Charlie attempted conversation again, “Uh. Did you want to go…?’

“Oh. Oh no, Officer Swan.” She said with a blush on her cheeks, “I don’t have a date.”

She looked up at him, eyes hinting that she wanted to be asked by him. That Charlie could ask if he wanted to. He wasn’t going to though. She deserved someone who was looking for a serious relationship. At the moment, he had too much going on in his life, and a potential murder after his blood.

“You should ask Steve to take you.” He suggested, “He’s actually looking for a date. Gettin’ real annoying about it.”

“Shouldn’t… he ask me? Guys usually ask girls to those sorts of things… I can’t ask him. What would I say?” Melina fretted, worrying her lip between her teeth.

“In this day and age? Hell no. Ask him. Just go up to him and ask. Worst he’ll say is no.” Charlie gave her the pep talk, and caught Edward coming out of the Break room from the corner of his eye. Before Charlie could register what he was saying or doing, he impulsively offered,“And if he does say no you can just be my date to the ball.”

Wait what?

Why had he told her _that?!_

“Thank you Charlie!” She beamed at him and kissed him on the cheek. Charlie awkwardly nodded and jerked his thumb to the direction of the assignment’s desk.

“Yeah… I gotta… get to work.” He made his way over, ignoring Edward’s heavy gaze on him. He couldn’t play the avoidance game for much longer before Edward figured out what he was doing, and he’d definitely have to face him in the car. He was just stalling for time, reading over the same assignment unnecessarily. They were always assigned the same section of town to patrol, that had yet to change. Still, his eyes read over the instructions repeatedly, again and again, refusing to look up in his partner’s direction. Just like in his dream…

_I haven’t smelled anything so good in such a long time…_

A hand on his shoulder startled him. Charlie’s eyes shot up into hardened gold eyes belonging to Edward Masen.

“We need to talk.” He said meaningfully, and Charlie for once agreed with him. That was an understatement actually.

“What do you want to talk about?” He asked in return, playing dumb on this one. His eyes zeroed in on Edward’s mouth, searching out the fangs. He found none there.

“Privately.” The golden eyed boy added, and stalked off to the parking lot without waiting for Charlie’s reply. Charlie debated _not_ following him of course. But He didn’t actually think Edward was going to slaughter him like a cow for a burger. The guy had saved him after all. He forced his legs to move and he followed despite all his instincts screaming _stop._ Edward got into the police cruiser, this time he was in the driver’s seat. In slight contempt, Charlie slid into the passenger seat. Without a word, Edward started the car and drove.

The silence between them lasted a while. Charlie couldn’t pin down why Edward looked mighty pissy today. Charlie hadn't been the one to disappear for days on end. His jaw set into a hard line at his behavior.

"Do you have any idea how aggravating all of this is to me?"

What?

That wasn't what Charlie expected him to say. So Edward decided he wasn't going to explain his whereabouts?

“You’re joking right? _You’ve_ been gone. For days, milking this whole attack thing so you could slack off! You weren’t injured, I was. And you got everyone sick with worry over you for nothing. What the hell do  _you_  have to beso pissy about?”

“Forgive me,” Edward’s lips pressed into a thin line, “I didn’t mean to upset you. But I _was_ worried. I heard your mother was hospitalized.”

 How had Edward found out about _that?_ This was a small town but that was just ridiculous. Charlie thought back to the sensations he felt that came and went, the way it always felt as though someone were around when he couldn't see anybody there. It made him uncomfortable to hear something unspoken in Edward's words that essentially confirmed his anxiety.

“You heard about that huh?” He asked with a curt nod, “Yeah, I haven’t uh been in a good mood since last night.”

“Of course. She’s your mother.”

Charlie was silent again for a long moment. He was finally in Edward’s presence again, could ask him all about that night. Would he laugh about his theory on Vampires? But a part of him didn’t want to ask, feeling that he’d disappear again if Charlie brought it up. He took a deep breath.

He wasn’t _supposed_ to care if Masen vanished.

“That day I got jumped,” Charlie began after building up the nerve, “You ran over to me pretty fast… First I thought it was steroids but I never seen steroids do that. It wasn’t like anything I ever saw before.”

The pale boy tensed next to him.

“It was almost not human.” Charlie finished, arms folding themselves across his chest.

“Oh?”

“I want to know why.”

"Why what?” 

Good question, Charlie thought dryly, unsure what he meant by why either.

“How about starting with why you’re in Forks in the first place. Or why you decided to save me. Or... what you are.”

Edward remained tense and unmoving for a long time before his lips twitched into a smile. In an attempt to break the tension, he lightly teased, “The last one isn’t a ‘why,’ Charlie.”

“You know what I mean.” Charlie drawled, not distracted by the feeble attempt to throw the conversation.

"Isn’t it enough that I saved your life? Can’t you leave it at that?” Edward pleaded with his fingers tight on the wheel, “Is it necessary for you to know?”

“I wouldn’t care if it didn’t involve me. I’d be _happy_ to keep things on a need to know basis with you, Edward. But I got pulled into this mess too.”

He could see the exact moment that Edward broke, and he spilled the information.

“I came to Forks to help my sister with something of her past,” Edward finally admitted with a sigh, “That isn’t a lie. I promise you. I saved your life because I wanted to and well, I’d like to hear your theories on the last one actually, if you don’t mind.”

“Wait, you didn’t answer my second question. ‘Because I wanted to’ is such a cop out.”

“Is it? I don’t think it is. All too often, I find that I have to restrain myself from certain urges,” He said, so ambiguously that Charlie had no idea what he meant by that, “I seldom do ‘whatever I want.’ I can’t, you see. But I did this once. I saved you because I wanted to.”

Charlie swallowed thickly.

“Oh.”

“I didn’t intend on dragging you into our problems any more than you already were.” Edward explained, looking at him briefly as though watching his reaction.

 “Hng,” Why was this so painful to get out, “Thanks…”

Edward’s lips tugged upwards with amusement, his eyes bright and inquisitive, and _pretty_ honey gold. Charlie bit his tongue, hoping that it was hard enough to rid him of these thoughts.

“You're thanking me for what exactly?”

“Answering my question,” Charlie answered roughly, looking away and out the window, “And… savin’ my life or whatever. According to you, I was already involved in this shit show before you showed up.”

'Any _more_ than you already were.' Charlie had not missed that throwaway statement. He didn't ask why that was. He already had his answer. Maybe he had been branded with an X on his back the very day Mark found that body in the woods.

Edward didn't answer him at first, but his silence at the way his eyes tightened back to the road were answers enough in themselves.

“That man who attacked you marked you as his next victim.” Edward confirmed.  Charlie waited for the crippling terror he had been feeling in small doses the last few weeks. He felt nothing though. Absolutely nothing. It was relieving to hear that this man wanted him and not his family members. He could almost smile.

 

“Okay.”

 

“Okay?”

 

“Yeah. Okay.”

 

“I tell you that you are a target on someone’s hit list and all you have to say about it is 'okay?'” Edward huffed an incredulous breath, “That is not a healthy response to this, Charlie.”

When did Charlie ever have a healthy response to anything? He sealed this away too just like his dream, just like the heartache at knowing his mom’s condition was worsening. Screw the lid on and buried those bottles deep.

“There's not much I can do.” Charlie grunted at him, “I'm the person people are supposed to go to for protection and help when things like this happen to them. It's not supposed to happen _to_ me. Best I can do is solider it on. I have a job to do.

“If you know so much about this guy, you should have given a statement to the police.” He squinted suspiciously at Edward.

"There isn't much I know of him either. It's mainly guess work that I'm doing,” Edward admitted with a shrug,”I can't do any more than you can. He's that something of my sister's past I mentioned. I'm assuming that he had marked her for death as well, only she had gotten away.”

“So what are we going to do?”

“ _We?_ ” Edward repeated, “You aren't to do anything. You're going to keep away from this situation entirely.”

“But I'm already involved, like you said.” He shot back, “I'm supposed to wait around for him to kill me?”

The car screeched so hard to a stop that it was a good thing they were in the boonies. Had there been a car behind them, it surely would have slammed into the back of the vehicle.

“I will _not_ let anything happen to you.” Edward snarled at him, getting Charlie's heart rate beyond than what he assumed was healthy, “ _Don't ever say that.”_

Charlie couldn't believe this guy's sheer balls.

“You're not my protector or whatever it is you think you are.” He bristled, less intimidated than he was peeved, “You're some guy who transferred in a few weeks ago. And I want you to quit followin’ me around when you think I don't know, you sonofabitch.”  

It occurred to him that he was speaking to a possible vampire but right now he only registered that it was _Edward._

Edward had the same reaction of a boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

 

“I- Excuse me?”

Surprise and embarrassment never looked so good on another person. Charlie banished that thought away, convincing himself that he was simply pleased that the guy was so caught off guard. Like when Charlie had first pulled him over.

Good.

“You thought I wouldn't catch that?” Charlie asked him with a scoff, “You're a real freak, Masen. Stalking is illegal. I'm starting to believe you aren't even a cop.”

“Charlie…” Edward began but couldn't stop the revelation from unfolding.

 

“Shit.” Charlie breathed in disbelief.

 

“It's not how you think it is.”

 

“ _Shit. I knew it.”_

 

“It's not what you think.”

 

“You really _are_ a fake.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [holyyyyy cruddd](https://eddcullen.tumblr.com/post/154946014462/poupee-its-charlie-not-charles-you-talk-like)


	9. Interrogations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for Homophobic language. The 90's were a dark time...

“You really _are_ a fake.”

Whatever affection Charlie had come to have for the other man was undone by the lie. It wasn’t just a single, harmless white lie. It was something monumental, _illegal,_ something that went against what Charlie stood for. When he had voiced his disbelief over his and Edward’s supposed shared occupation the day they formally met, he hadn’t been completely serious. He had even meant it a little snidely. He didn’t think Edward was _actually_ committing the illegal act of impersonating an officer. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he had known all along. But what could he really _do_ about it?

“I wasn’t serious before when I accused you,” Charlie hissed to him, “I didn’t know you were actually impersonating an officer. Give me one damn good reason why I shouldn’t report this?”

Edward’s next words were colored in a pleading tone, not even in his own behalf but Charlie’s, “I’ve already explained the situation to you. You’re a target. While I don’t mean to alarm you, if you attempt to have me turned in, I’ll be forced to leave. It’ll be as if I never existed, and the… man who is pursuing you will make an attempt at your life.”

“That’s your reason?” Charlie scoffed at him humorlessly, “I can take care of myself. I’m a pretty good shot.”

“I think you and I have already established that he can accomplish feats beyond ordinary human capabilities. Even if you are good with weapons, it won’t be enough. It won’t stop him. You’ve seen it first hand, Charlie. The speed and strength he possessed.”

How fast and strong they both were.

Edward was right.

Charlie himself had already figured he would have been labeled nuts for reporting the inhuman qualities of his attacker. He was really on his own if he and Edward parted ways. At least Edward was some kind of a match against the guy. Charlie’s own self preservation made him sick. He never thought he’d find himself in the position where he would be willing to look the other way at a break in the law in exchange for ensuring his own safety. Confliction must have been playing across his features because Edward attempted to soothe him.

“All my paperwork is legitimate in appearance. There is no cause for suspicion and even if I am ever caught, you can convincingly claim ignorance. Nobody will have reason to doubt you. It is only a temporary arrangement and I’ll be out of your hair.”

That didn’t really make him feel better.

“Just when I was starting to like you…” He muttered, resting his chin on his palm. He didn’t see the way Edward perked up beside him. Before the redhead could comment on that, Charlie continued, “So you never gave me an answer. What is this guy? What are you?”

Charlie didn’t expect an answer so he wasn’t let down when Edward didn’t give him one.

“I am not at liberty to tell you. That’s against the rules,” Edward smiled in jest, though there was some truth to his words, “If you found out, I’d have to leave. I wouldn’t mind hearing your theories however, as I said before. There is no rule against you coming to your own conclusions.”

“But you’d have to leave if I guess right, right?”

“It’s… a possibility.”

“So,” Charlie summarized, “As long as I don’t actually _say_ the V word, you get to stick around.”

Edward’s breath caught, he casted a look in his direction, "Your deduction skills are remarkable. A little _too_ remarkable for your own good...”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, remember?” Charlie reminded him with mock sternness, glancing away from the window and at him firmly. It wasn’t a testament to Charlie’s deductive skills, but a product of connecting the dots between his assailant and Billy’s stories.

“I _had_ at one point considered you simple minded.” Edward admitted with sheepishness, “It never occurred to me that you were simply hard to read…”

Before Charlie had time to feel insulted, their radio broke their conversation, announcing a disturbance in the nearby area and then giving the coordinates. It was some drunk disturbing the peace. He had shown up his ex girlfriend's house and would not stop beating on her door. Of all the times for someone to get rowdy, it had to be when he was finally getting answers from Edward.

“And it doesn’t bother you?” Edward asked, as they drove to the location,”That… I’m not like your average man. It doesn’t matter to you?”

Well, it didn’t really matter what Edward was. What bothered Charlie were his engagements in illegal activity. There was a chance Edward was a killer, but that would unnerve him had Edward been an ordinary human too. Being a vampire had nothing to do with it but everything to do with it at the same time. How else could he be keeping himself alive if he wasn’t sustaining himself on blood? Where did he get his food?

“It’s not what you are, but what you do. So far, your track record by me is shit. I have you for stalking, impersonating an officer, and speeding!” Charlie said tentatively,”Do you… hurt people?”

“I’m a vegetarian…” Edward responded just as carefully. That had to be code for no. So he didn’t hurt humans. Somehow he didn’t picture Edward sucking on a carrot though, he had to have been talking about an alternative blood source. Animals maybe? He wouldn’t put it passed the guy at this point to rob blood banks though.

They fell silent upon reaching the scene of the crime. Charlie unbuckled his seatbelt and was ready to get out of the car when Edward’s hand stopped his. Charlie jerked his hand away immediately. _Jesus Christ_ , he was freezing.

“Sorry,” Edward’s eyes tightened at his violent reaction to his touch, “I just thought that I could handle this one while you wait in the car.”

“You’re not even a real cop.” Charlie scoffed and continued to unbuckle his seatbelt.

“No. But I know the correct protocol. It’s only one man, and if I go, l’ll wrap things up more quickly.”

Charlie paused before shrugging.

“Just make sure to read him his rights.”

Letting Edward deal with the situation had been a good call. He wrapped it up effortlessly. At the same time, Charlie wished he hadn’t let Edward take this one, because he couldn’t stop staring at the grace of which Edward cuffed their perpetrator. Charlie was as religious as an average small town man, and that was to say a bit loose on the subject- though he did follow it; love thy neighbor, thou shalt not kill, respect thy father and mother. But because of Edward’s freakish statuesque beauty, he looked like a rendering of an Angel of Justice. That would have been a compliment, but it wasn’t. It was just unnerving to see the face of a renaissance angel on a creature with the capacity to drain you of your blood. It was unnerving to see what should have been fiction pulled into reality. Statues and paintings were fine when they were still, seeing a moving one was creepy and that was what Edward essentially was. A moving work of art, and not in a good way.

Edward shoved the drunkard into the backseat before moving into the driver’s seat.

The voice of the apprehended man pitched forward from the back seat, “You think you’re all bad just ‘cause you got the guns. You aint shit. Can’t mind your own business. I just wanted to talk to my girlfriend...”

“Shut the hell up before you make things worse for yourself.” Charlie groused at the little bastard as Edward began driving down to the station. He hoped Edward didn’t get the idea that he was going to be driving from now on... Mark had given Charlie the keys.

Edward seemed pensive, and whatever he was thinking about obviously amused him because he was fighting a smile.

Finally, the pale man observed with a mocking petty note in his tone, “You never let _me_ take the cruiser home.”

Charlie blinked several times at him in bewilderment. First of all, it was creepy how they were on the same page. Second-- Really? That’s what he had silently been laughing to himself about? Like hell was Charlie letting him touch the cruiser, especially after they had just discussed Edward’s status as a phony. He didn’t deserve that awesome honor. At least Charlie actually put in the work for it. He huffed at Edward, a scowl shaping itself across his features.

“I’ve seen that Trans Am of yours, Masen. You don’t _need_ the fuckin’ cruiser.”

“How presumptuous of you. How do you know that it's still in my possession?” Edward challenged, “Perhaps I was forced to sell it.”

The guy in the back seat who had quieted started back up again, throwing more insults their way, “Pigs arguing like a married couple… Bet you guys’re fucking each other too, fucking disgusting. Fags.”

Charlie rolled his eyes. It was hardly original commentary, and he was used to backtalk from his time training with Mark and Waylon. Edward’s mood however shifted on the dime. He looked positively pissed and Charlie marveled at how quick he was to change moods. He really needed to take things less close to heart.

“Distract me…” Edward ordered through his teeth, with all that righteous fury worthy of Charlie’s childhood Sunday School lectures on the divine.

“What?” He asked, embarrassed to have been slightly dazed by him.

“Distract. Me.”

“Oh,” Charlie wracked his brain for something random, ignoring the drunken chatter from their back seat passenger,”Uh… what’s your blood type?”

Edward’s eyes widened almost comically, across his face dancing a range of emotions, settling on one that looked like he was trying with all his might not to burst out laughing hysterically.

“I-I’m sorry, my _what_?”

“Your blood type, Charlie prattled on awkwardly, clearing his throat to explain, “The Japanese think your blood type says something about your personality… It was somethin’ Steve was telling me.”

“I see.” Edward still looked like he was enjoying a private joke, “I don’t know my blood type.”

“Ah. Me neither…”

Charlie’s face had gone scarlet with sheer embarrassment.

They made it to the station where Charlie manhandled the Perpetrator out of the backseat of the car, giving him a good shove toward the building. Edward was right behind him, however something inside Charlie’s gut churned at the sheer wrongness.  He ignored it with a hard scowl as he had their Perp set up with a jail cell. He couldn’t help but feel he belonged there alongside him, because was going to say nothing about Edward’s status as a criminal. All for his own self-preservation.

But it wasn’t just his own, Charlie thought adamantly, a man before him had died. If someone didn’t put a stop to this guy, then who would? How many people were going to die after him? And that’s what he told himself. It was for a good cause.

“You should have waited in the car.” He stated to Edward, as he filled out a quick report at one of the desks. It didn’t matter the justification. Seeing Edward in the station filled him with a sense of guilt. This was Aiding and Abetting.

His thoughts could have been written on his shirt with the look of pain that simmered in Edward’s eyes. The smile he flashed him was forced, and it was obvious. Maybe the guy thought he was a good bullshitter, but Charlie had trained eyes. He hadn’t been lying earlier when he told Edward he was a good shot. He was the best in the department.

The Vampire nodded mutely and stalked out of the building, heading back to the cruiser. Charlie’s heart fluttered in his chest when he realized that Edward had left the keys right on the desk for him. Good. He quickly focused on his paperwork.

When he finished the report he headed over to the drop in box at the office and set it in the proper tray. Melina caught his eye and she waved at him. He hesitantly raised his hand to give a shy wave back as she approached him.

“Hello, Charlie.” She beamed prettily at him and he rubbed the back of his neck, nodding in kind.

“Hi.” He said lamely, not sure what else to say, “Uh. Did you… ask Steve to the Halloween Ball?”

He desperately hoped she said yes. It wasn’t that He didn’t want to take her, it was just that he wasn’t really good with socializing and never really had the grace for dancing. The idea of a ball sounded horrifying. Still, he was a man of his word. If Steve said no, he was going to take her.

“U-Uhm,” Melina seemed embarrassed, “Not yet actually. I just... I’m working up to it. I’m sorry. I don’t want you to get stuck taking me. You really don’t have to if you don’t want to. I know you only offered because you’re a sweet guy.”

He immediately felt bad.

“That’s not true.” He disagreed, not completely lying. He didn’t offer to be nice, but he didn’t offer because he was interested in her romantically. He didn’t know why he had asked her truthfully. He had just seen Edward and impulsively…

Aw Hell.

Everything had to go back to him!

“I’ll ask him.” She repeated rather than arguing, taking a deep breath, “I just don’t know how to do it.”

“I can help you if you want me to. I mean, I know fuck all about asking men out but I’ll see what I can do. I’ll be your wingman.” He promised making Melina beam at him.

“Gosh, you’re a real nice guy, Charlie.”

He made a motion over his head, mimicking a halo on his way out the door.

He made it to the cruiser and found Edward in the passenger seat. Charlie walked around to slide into the driver’s side and started up the car.

“Thought you couldn’t read me that easily. Isn’t that what you’ve been saying?” He mumbled to Edward as he pulled out of the parking lot.

“I can’t. Why do you ask?”

“You seemed to know that I didn’t really want you driving.”

“Ah. Well, I said that you were difficult to read. Not that I couldn’t. For most people, I can almost completely… _guess_ what they’re thinking,” Edward explained, “But for you, I can only make an _inference_ about the general emotional direction behind your thoughts, as opposed to the words. I saw that your eyes were on my hands which were on the wheel, felt the negativity radiating from you, and assumed. Correctly it seems. But don’t worry, I have no intention of taking your little car. I prefer things that go much faster.”

This code talk was really going to tick him off. But he got the gist of it. That Edward could read minds but could only just barely make out what Charlie was thinking. That must have been what got him furious when the guy in the back seat had been hurling insults at them.

“So hypothetically, if you could read minds, you would have heard what that guy was…?”

“ _Hypothetically_ ,” Edward snarled, clenching his hands on the wheel, “I would have heard every word.”

It really seemed to bother the guy, too much for it not to have been on a personal level. And so Charlie wondered… No. He couldn’t wonder about things like that. Even if Edward was _that way_ , it wasn’t any of his business to go about asking him like that.

“You can’t turn it off?” He asked him, dropping their pitiful poorly hidden speech.

Edward shook his head.

It must have been really terrible, getting stuck listening to people’s internal bullshit 24/7. Thoughts could get nasty considering that was truly the place where things went unfiltered. The most honest things were revealed when you had the privacy of your own mind and… Charlie felt smug. He was safe from Edward’s prying.

(It was also relieving to know he never heard the many times he referred to Edward as beautiful in his mind. Charlie had enough of a hard time convincing himself of all the reasons not to trust Edward, he didn’t need to start convincing Edward that he didn’t trust him too.)

Maybe the guy deserved that sort of torture anyway. He seemed like a nosy guy (among other things) even without the mind reading, and as the saying went, you got what you deserved.

“Now I have a question for you.” Edward stated, directing him a curious stare, “Did you _truly_ wish to ask the woman at the office to the Halloween Ball? Or were you being nice?”

Charlie gaped at him.

He _had_ noticed.

He shut his mouth. Case closed: nosy.

“That’s none of your business I don’t think.” He grumbled softly, ignoring the heat radiating from his ears, “If you wanted to ask her, I wouldn’t let you anyway. You’re not a good guy for her. You don’t even belong at the Ball.”

“That’s,” Edward seemed pained once again, “fair... “

“Hnm.

“What would you do if I showed up regardless?”

What could Charlie do?

“Nothing I guess. I can’t really do anything about it,” He admitted, "But you’ll know damn well you don’t belong with us. People… they’re going to be dressed up as things that go bump in the night. But you don’t really need to do you? That’s why you don’t belong. And it isn’t because of what you are, but what you're doing. You’re lying. To everyone. They trust you and really, they have no reason to."

“I have to be there regardless…” Edward’s voice seemed smaller, “I… I have to look out for you. But I’ll make certain you don’t see me.”

Shame reared its ugly head in within Charlie. Immediately he wanted to take back his terrible words but he couldn’t. He couldn’t completely rule Edward out he decided. In whatever way he was attempting to do good. He was trying to protect Charlie, the man who had just called him a monster over the crimes he had committed to insure the safety of one cop…

God, Charlie felt like a dick.

“Edward…”

“No it’s fine. You’re justified in your accusations.” Edward held up a hand to stop him, “Remember, I’m not doing this for you, but for my sister. These are selfish reasons really so you needn’t feel guilt.”

But that didn’t make Charlie any less remorseful.


End file.
